A few weeks ago, Calgarypuck.com asked its readership to assign a rating to each and every player on the Flames perceived 23-man roster.

Over the next five days, position by position, we'll take a look at the results, and then on Saturday (the commencement of this fall's training camp) the analysis will look at the team on a whole.

Today's feature ... Goaltending.

The Stoppers

The Dominic Hasek plan.

As long as four years ago, Calgary brain trust looked East for the framework and design to bring their struggling club back to the playoffs. Not to the Canadiens, or Leafs, the Wings, or Devils, but the Buffalo Sabres.

At that point, the Sabres were getting great mileage out of one star player, and a cast of hard working players, the star player, Dominic Hasek manned the pipes.

With this framework in mind the Flames looked into their system and anointed top prospect J.S. Giguere their Hasek, and then tried to backfill the present by acquiring goaltenders like Ken Wregget and Grant Fuhr.

That brain trust is gone, and this new management group was no where near as patient.

When Craig Button took over the reigns he immediately acquired Mike Vernon, and though this positive memory has likely faded for the average fan, Vernon almost single handedly dragged to the Flames into the playoffs during the 2000-01 season before suffering a concussion around Christmas of that season. He was never the same goaltender again.

Last summer Button looked for the "now" again, acquiring goaltender Roman Turek, a move that paid much more consistent dividends.

Averting unrestricted free agency, Button managed to lock the "large" stopper up and place the goaltending mantle in the most secure hands that this organization has seen since the early 1990's.

Flame skaters and fans watching from the seats quickly developed a "we can't lose" feeling watching the huge goaltender place his frame in front of everything, and still appear to be taller than Fred Brathwaite while on his knees.

The strenuous pace couldn't last, and things did come back to Earth, but Turek's first season in Calgary was a breath of fresh air for the organization.

Consistency, stability, a chance to win.

If the Flames man to man defensive scheme can find its way back to the pace set last fall Roman Turek will once again look unbeatable. Give him the first shot, clear the rebounds, the team will do well. Get running around, give the puck away every second shift and Mr. Tretiak himself wouldn't make a difference.

Turek's ranking of 3.5 places him at the very upper limits of an above average player, a fair assessment of the goaltender in Calgary eyes. Last season we opined on many an occasion that to win the Flames need Turek, Derek Morris, and Jarome Iginla firing on all cylinders, so it's interesting to see Turek's overall grade fall to fourth on the club, behind Craig Conroy.